Spinning rings



Dec. 19, 1961 H. B. ATWOOD 3,013,377

SPINNING RINGS Filed May 26. 1959 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,013,377 SPINNING RINGS Hyatt B. Atwood, Buffalo, N.Y., assignor to Herr Manufacturiug Company, Inc., Butfalo, N.Y. Filed May 26, 1959, Ser. No. 815,934 1 Claim. (Cl. 57-420) This invention relates to spinning rings of the kind used in connection with the spinning of yarns and particularly to improved lubrication of such rings.

The supplying of lubricant to the inner surfaces of spinning rings against which the traveller bears is of vital importance, not only for the purpose of prolonging the life of the traveller by preventing wear of the same, but also to ensure smooth operation of the traveller to prevent pounding or uneven motion of the traveller along the ring.

It is consequently an object of this invention to provide spinning rings with improved means for lubricating the surfaces thereof contacted by the traveller.

It is a further object of this invention to provide spinning rings with two separate and independent sources of lubrication of the rings, both of which are continuous around the inner surfaces of the rings.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a spinping ring with two sources of lubrication for the traveller and to supply lubricant to both sources from a common supply means.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a spinning ring mounted within its holder.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation thereof.

FIG. 3 is a similar sectional elevation thereof illustrating different positions commonly occupied by the traveller in its motion relatively to the ring.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 I have illustrated my improved ring mounted in a holder 6 of any usual or suitable type, that shown having a reservoir or well 7 formed integral therewith for holding lubricant to be applied to the ring. The holder has an inwardly extending, annular portion which is formed to receive the ring.

The type of ring to which this invention relates is commonly referred to as a conical ring and includes two substantially frust'o conical bearing surfaces for the traveller, a lower bearing surface 8 extending from the bottom of the ring upwardly and inclined toward the axis of the ring, and an upper bearing surface 9 which extends downwardly and inwardly toward the axis of the ring. In rings of this type the traveller 10 has an arm which bears on the upper bearing surface 9 and a downwardly extending arm which bears against the upwardly extending, annular bearing surface 8. 11 represents a thread which is being spun or twisted and which exerts a pull on the traveller in a direction upwardly and toward the axis of the ring. Furthermore the traveller, due to its rapid rotation, is urged outwardly by centrifugal force against the pull of the thread and toward the two bearing surfaces of the ring and downwardly by gravity.

My improved ring includes an outer or base part 12 and an inner part 14. The outer part 12 of the ring is provided on the upper, inner edge thereof with a rabbetted edge or recess into which the inner part fits, thus forming two seams or surfaces of contact 15 and 16 between the inner and outer ring parts.

In accordance with my improved construction I form the outer ring part 12 of a sintered metal which is porous and consequently pervious to oil or other lubricant and.

the inner ring part 14 is made of an impervious, solid, hard metal, such for example as a hard steel, which has been found to have excellent bearing properties when used in spinning or twisting rings. This inner ring part is of angle shape in cross section and the ends of the legs of this member form the inner and upper portions of the bearing surfaces of the ring.

In order to increase the efiiciency of spinning machines, the speed of movement of the traveller about the ring has been gradually increased, and this increase in speed results in greater wear on the traveller and the ring and consequently necessitates more lubrication and also a better distribution of lubricant throughout the bearing surfaces of the ring, to prevent rapid wearing'out of the travellers and rings. I have consequently formed the two ring parts in such a manner that the two seams 15 and 16 between the outer and inner ring parts may carry lubricant by capillary action to the two bearing surfaces of the ring. By making the outer ring part 12 of a porous, sintered metal, I provide a further supply of lubricant to both of the bearing surfaces of the ring. The sintered metal ring part 12 may be produced by means of various pressures which in turn vary the porosity of the ring and consequently its lubricant conductivity. Consequently, by controlling the pressure at which the outer ring part 12 is formed and by control of the pressures with which the inner ring part 14 bears against the surfaces of the rabbet or groove in the outer ring part, a very good control of the lubricant supplied to the bearing surfaces of the ring may be obtained, since obviously the conductivity of the seams 15 and 16 is dependent upon the pressures of the two ring parts against each other at these seams.

In rings of the type to which this invention relates the greatest pressure of the traveller is exerted against the upper, inner portion of the ring, due to the action on the traveller of the resultant of the forces resulting from the pull of the thread, centrifugal force acting on the traveller, due to its high rate of speed, gravity and the shape of the ring resulting in the bearing surface 8 sloping downwardly and outwardly. By positioning the inner ring part 14 in this position of the ring, most of the pressure of the traveller will be exerted against the inner ring part 14 and much less pressure will be exerted on the portions of the outer ring part which also form parts of the bearing surfaces for the traveller. Consequently, by making the inner ring part 14 of a metal of high resistance to wear, long life of the spinning ring is assured. The sintered metal does not have the resistance to wear which the inner ring part 14 possesses, but also is not subjected to such severe wear as the inner ring and consequently serves mainly to supply lubricant to the composite ring.

Any desired means may be provided for supplying lubricant to both the seams 15 and 16 and to the porous metal, outer ring part 12, and in the construction shown for this purpose, a wick 20 is provided which extends into the lubricant cup or reservoir 7 of the holder and through registering passages in the holder and the ring into a groove or channel 21, which is preferably formed by providing an annular recess or space between the outer ring part and the middle portion of the inner ring part. By supplying lubricant to this channel 21, the

lubricant can pass by capillary action through the seams 15 and 16 to the two bearing surfaces of the ring, and lubricant from this channel is also absorbed by the porous outer ring part 12 and transmitted to the bearing surfaces of the ring. Consequently the lubricant from both of these surfaces is distributed or spread over the bearing surfaces by the traveller.

Most ring supports for spinning machines are pro' vided with reservoirs or wells 7 and passages leading to the ring. Consequently my improved ring can be used in connection with ring holders as used at the present time on many type of spinning and twisting machines without any changes therein.

In the operation of my improved ring, the traveller in moving at high speed around the inner surface of the ring in contact with both bearing surfaces, forms a suction at the trailing edge thereof, which has a tendency to draw lubricant through the seams 15 and 16 and also through the sintered metal outer part 12 of the ring by contacting with parts of this ring or at least moving in close proximity thereto. Some of this lubricant is spread over the bearing surfaces of the inner ring part by the traveller.

The traveller in its movement along the inner surface of the ring does not throughout its operation occupy the ideal position shown in FIG. 2, but has a tendency to jump and pound to a certain extent against the ring. I have shown in FIG. 3 an extreme position which the traveller might occupy during its movement, and it will be noted that even in this extreme position, the main pressure exerted by the traveller is against the inner ring part 14. By making the inner ring part of a metal of good bearing properties, the life of the ring is very much longer than it would be if the entire ring were made of sintered, porous metal. Even if the porous metal in my improved ring should become slighty worn, due to the pivoting or tilting of the traveller, as shown in FIG. 3, the extent to which this wear takes place will be definitely limited by the inner ring part 14 so that the wearing away of the outer ring part 12 will be controlled and greatly retarded by the inner ring part 14.

My improved ring increases the life of both the ring and the traveller due to the fact that the bearing surfaces of the ring are at all times provided with ample lubrication, and even if lubrication through one source, such for example as the capillary seams 15 and 16 or through the sintered and porous, outer metal ring part 12, is interrupted, the other lubricating part will supply sufficient lubrication to prevent rapid wearing and heating of the traveller and ring.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and ararngements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.

I claim:

A spinning ring for cooperation with a traveller and having an upper bearing surface sloping downwardly toward the axis of the ring, and a substantially upright bearing surface inclined upwardly toward the axis of said ring, said ring including an outer part formed of a porous metal which is pervious to lubricant, and an inner part made of a hard metal of high resistance to wear and of angle-shaped cross section, the ends of the legs of said angle-shaped inner ring part forming the inner and upper portions of said bearing surfaces, and constituting the main bearings surfaces for the traveller and positioned to restrict the pressure with which the traveller may contact said porous part, seams formed at the junction of said ring parts and terminating in a channel and through which lubricant passes to said bearing surfaces by capillary action to supplement lubricant passing through said pervious outer ring part, and means for supplying lubricant to said channel for passage into said seams and said porous metal part.

Wilson Aug. 19, 1879 Fillinger Feb. 3, 1959 

